The minutes of the regular September 4, 2007 meeting were received
and reviewed.It was moved by Janson and
supported by Siemer “to approve and file the minutes of the September 4, 2007 meeting.”Approved (5/0).

The
Monthly Manager’s Report Summaries for
July 2007 through September 2007 were presented and reviewed by J.T. Rairigh. Comparisons were made with the same time
period the previous year.There were 75 good
flying days and 17 poor flying days for this period.Rairigh reported an increase of approximately
40% in 2007 flights when compared to the same three month period last year.Fuel sales were up by approximately 50% from
the previous year.Current gas prices
were provided at $3.98/gallon for Jet A.Rairigh provided a report on 2005 State air traffic figures for BarstowAirport in comparison with other
airports in Michigan.According to the report, Midland Barstow
Airport is in the upper 4% of activity for General Aviation airports and is busier
than near 1/2 of all commercial airports in the State.The airport appears to be as busy as in 2005,
gas prices have increased over 100%, and hangars are full.Woodruff asked whether the State ranks
airports.Rairigh indicated that they
post figures without rankings.Pollack
asked the difference between large and small planes, which are twins, jets, and
larger.Janson added that jets are a lot
lighter and would affect use of the airport if the runways were
lengthened.Siemer wondered whether
additional hangars were scheduled for next year.Rairigh explained planned projects for next
year which did not include additional hangars.Woodruff asked whether we were considering approach runway lighting
systems and whether the commission should be considering it.Rairigh indicated he could look into it as
room may be an issue.McManus indicated
items like this is good planning and could be considered in the future, and also
indicated there may be better funding opportunities for based aircraft.It was moved by Siemer and supported by Bergstein “to accept the Monthly Manager’s Report
Summary.”Approved (5/0)

The
Airport Maintenance Status Report was provided by J.T.
Rairigh.Rairigh
provided information indicating that all items were addressed from the annual
State inspection report from this past April.Cracks were addressed.Old runway
markers were removed and trees were removed for the Runway 06 approach.Janson provided comments on crack sealing
that installation was appreciated, but could have been better.

OLD BUSINESS

1.Promotion Committee Report –
Janson provided a complete report on the airport observation area west of the
terminal building.Development size is
about ˝ acre, which was 6 months in the making to date.A raised berm is desired for viewing.Picnic benches and Kiosks are planned.A draft cost estimate was provided.Jim Cordes was thanked for putting the report
together.Observation area will be
fenced in.Outside funding will be
sought.Siemer asked whether any
foundations were approached.Janson
indicated that establishing funding is the next step in the process.Siemer also wondered whether the area could
be considered a park.McManus indicated
that a non-dedicated park could be looked into for funding. McManus asked what
the next steps were from a staff perspective.Janson indicated the next step was to look for support by the airport
community and some help from the City regarding fill material.The timing of the work will be within the
next year.Janson also indicated
appreciation for those involved with the airport videos and committee minutes.
Pollack asked whether lower fencing creates a safety issue.Rairigh indicated that the 4’ height is
permissible depending on area and appropriateness.Janson requested “support of the installation of an observation area” by the
commission which was moved by Siemer and seconded by Bergstein.Bergstein provided a couple of funding
suggestions.All approved (5/0).

2.AWOS Update – Maki indicated
the remaining steps that must be taken in order to implement and install the
AWOS system.Several approvals by the
State Ad-Board are required and contracts for the materials and the Sponsor
contract completed.Also, the FAA must
give final approval of the project.A
timeline was provided indicating that anticipated construction will likely
occur in Summer 2008.The project will be funded with 2007 Federal entitlement funds.

NEW BUSINESS

1.MoGas Report – Rairigh provided a report regarding the feasibility of
using MoGas at the airport.He addressed
for areas; whether it is safe, whether there is a demand, the expense, and
whether it was a good idea.The FAA has
tested this use for many years and has determined the use to be safe.The potential demand is there as over 80% of
all planes can use this fuel and most are designed for using this fuel.Also, Raraigh reported this use as an
opportunity to provide fuel that other airports in the area do not have.Expense would be less of an issue if the
infrastructure exists.This may be the
case if the new tank project scheduled for 2008 moves forward, which would
leave an additional underground tank available.Pumps are old and can be reused, but could be considered for
replacement.The implementation appears
to be a good idea.McManus asked what
the price for low-lead fuel was currently and what would the price comparison
be related to gas purchased at a gas station.Rairigh indicated the current price is $4.29/gallon and the price would currently
be about $0.40/gallon higher than what you see at gas stations.Janson indicated that gas could be provided
at a cheap price.McManus suggested
researching this concept further from a commission standpoint, but also that it
made sense at this point to leave the tank as a consideration.McManus also pointed out several concerns
received regarding mistakenly using the wrong fuel and suggested the commission
first consider all the pros and cons and provide no recommendation at this
point.

2.Fuel Revenue Report – Maki provided a fuel revenue report showing
revenues and expenses from the 2005/06 season to present.The net gain for 2005/06 was $2,150.Since the new contract with QAS was in place,
the 2006/07 and 2007/08 estimated net gains were $10,000.In 2007/08, the Airport is on track with
meeting this estimate.Maki indicated
that even though more fuel is being sold, it does not necessarily mean there
are larger net gains.